John Frederick Coots (May 2, 1897 – April 8, 1985) was an American
songwriter.[1] He composed over 700 popular songs and over a dozen
Broadway shows. In 1934, Coots wrote the melody with his then chief collaborator, lyricist
Haven Gillespie, for the biggest hit of either man's career, "
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town."[2][3][4][5] The song became one of the biggest sellers in American history.[6]
In 1934, when Gillespie brought him the lyrics to "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", Coots came up with the outline of the melody in just ten minutes. Coots took the song to his publisher,
Leo Feist, who liked it but thought it was "a kids' song" and didn't expect too much from it.[7] Coots offered the song to
Eddie Cantor who used it on his radio show that November and it became an instant hit. The morning after the radio show there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music and by Christmas sales had passed 400,000.[citation needed]
Sally, Irene and Mary, music by Coots, words by Raymond W. Klages (1888–1947), March 23, 1925 – April 4, 1925 & September 4, 1922 – June 2, 1923
OCLC498812201,
498526150
^Several biographies state that John Frederick Coots was born in
Brooklyn. He married Marjorie Decker Jennings on February 18, 1924, in
Manhattan. Their marriage license states that he was born in Brooklyn. Also, his World War I Draft Registration Card states that he was born in Brooklyn. However, an April 6, 1930, New York Times article, "In the Spotlight's Glare," states that he was born in
Keene, New Hampshire.
^Harry Engel (1894
Vienna, Austria – 1965
Los Angeles) had been a sheet music traveling salesman for Richmond-Robbins, Inc. — Maurice Aaron Richmond (1878–1965) and nephew, John J. (Jack) Robbins (1894–1959) — then Robbins-Engel, Inc., the Irving Berlin; then after his affiliation with Davis, Coots & Engel, Inc., he went on to become head of West Coast Operations for
BMI